The use of large bin-type garbage receptacles for commercial, industrial and extraordinary solid waste producers has become not only commonplace but indispensable to efficient sanitation control. Receptacles generally referred to as "dumpsters" are placed at strategic locations throughout sanitation districts across the country. Part of their popularity arises from the fact that they can hold large quantities of refuse and can be dumped at the site of collection, the refuse collected in a compacting vehicle, and can be transported to a landfill, incinerator or other disposal location for final deposit.
The frequency of disposal depends on the frequency of use and the size of the container. Limiting factors include size of the receptacle, the ease of dumping and the type of refuse being deposited. The "dumpster"-type receptacle has been standardized in design to accommodate certain types of compacting vehicles which are generally equipped with hydraulic lifters which facilitate the lifting and dumping action which is used to empty the receptacle.
The present design of dumpster generally includes perpendicular walls, various doors on multiple sides, generally open tops, and standard sizes. When a consumer needs a receptacle, a decision must be made as to which size is most desirable. Because the receptacles are made of heavy gauge steel, they are quite expensive. Consequently, choosing the wrong size container or subsequently outgrowing the size previously purchased is also quite expensive.
Another characteristic of the "dumpsters" presently in use, is that because they are inherently heavy and bulky in design, they are extremely expensive to transport from the manufacturer to the consumer.